Rotorua store sells Winning Wheel ticket two weeks in a row

Rotorua's Lucky Lotto Shop is proving it really is lucky, selling the Winning Wheel ticket for the second week in a row.

The store sold the Winning Wheel ticket for Saturday night's draw after selling another Winning Wheel ticket to a Rotorua grandfather with a large family during last weekend's draw.

New Zealand Lotteries Commission spokeswoman Karen Jones said it was only the second time in the history of Winning Wheel, which began in 2004, that the same store had sold a winning ticket for the special category two weeks in a row.

"It's an amazing coincidence."

She doubted Rotorua being busier with extra tourists in town had anything to do with the two-in-a-row win.

She said the biggest volumes of sales of Lotto tickets was in Auckland so even if Rotorua were busier with more tourists, the double win was still "very lucky".

Ms Jones said three Winning Wheel tickets were sold in stores in a small street in Invercargill over a couple of years.

The Lucky Lotto Shop was closed yesterday but as of 3pm yesterday Ms Jones said the ticket remained unclaimed. The serial number is 700-03513897-20xx.

Ms Jones said the person who won the chance to spin the Winning Wheel will not be on the live Lotto draw until March as there was a six to seven-week waiting list.

The grandfather who won the chance in last week's draw won't spin the wheel until the end of February or early March.

Both punters will get the chance to win up to $1 million each.

Winning Wheel winner and new mother Sonya-Lee from Tokoroa, who bought her winning ticket from Rotorua's Selwyn Heights Four Square in November, won $200,000 during Saturday's live draw. She nominated her father to spin on her behalf.

Meanwhile, a Lotto player who bought their ticket from Raglan Pharmacy won Lotto's First Division of $1 million while Strike was also won by two lucky players who bought tickets at Take Note Whangamata and United Video Gore, winning $85,589 each. Powerball was not struck and has jackpotted to $15 million.